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Drama Review: Marry Me or Not

February 17, 2016

Marry Me or Not

Summary from DramaFever: Onscreen couple Roy Chiu and Alice Ke from Office Girls reunite in this romantic comedy. Burned by Jiang Qian Yao’s (Harry Zhang) playboy antics, Hao Sheng Nan (Joanne Tseng) and Cai Huan Zhen (Alice Ke) have been frenemies since college. But when Qian Yao resurfaces to stir up trouble years later, he ignites a new breed of cutthroat competition between Sheng Nan and Huan Zheng, who are both headstrong women focused on succeeding in work and love. Meanwhile, after seeing too many failed marriages, divorce lawyer Justin Hao (Roy Chiu) becomes increasingly cynical.

So close, yet so far away. End credits.

I like complex heroines in dramas, and Cai Huan Zhen, played by Alice Ke, delivered. On the first impression, she’s a mean girl. But as we learn more about her, we find she’s hiding a lot of pain. She would rather suffer alone, after not being able to trust others or to cause those close to her to worry.

The show does an excellent job of coming around full circle, when in the very last episode, Cai Huan Zhen tells this to Hao Sheng Nan about Hao Sheng Nan’s mother: “Perhaps what hurt her the most today wasn’t being misunderstood, but that no one understands her. A lot of people who seem very strong are in fact very lonely.”

She understands what Hao Sheng Nan’s mother is going through because this is how she feels. Cai Huan Zhen is often dealt the worst hand and manages to stay strong (so it seems) throughout the series. Cai Huan Zhen is very mature compared to her peers and can understand the feelings of others. I think she’s a very sensitive person, and that (along with keeping everything inside) makes her incredibly vulnerable. It makes sense that she’d rather put on a bitchy front to hide her true thoughts and emotions. She’d rather end her relationship with Hao Meng, ruin her friendship with his sister, and shoulder several burdens. Holding it in and sacrificing her happiness isn’t healthy, however. All she wants is to love and trust someone wholeheartedly after being burned so many times.

For example, there is her ex-best friend, Hao Sheng Nan. When they were in school, Hao Sheng Nan assumes Cai Huan Zhen stole the guy (Jian Quian Yao) she liked when in reality Cai Huan Zhen was trying to protect her. This created a rift in their relationship and their dislike of each other is one of the main points of the show. Over the years, Hao Sheng Nan would rather believe everyone except Cai Huan Zhen. Even when the truth is staring her in the face, she doubts. As someone watching the show, this made me dislike Hao Sheng Nan a lot. I did understand, however, that Cai Huan Zhen could have been more assertive about what really happened. But I think she was so used to people doubting her that she stayed quiet.

Jian Quian Yao is a terrible person to use Cai Huan Zhen in his plans. From the beginning, and years later, Cai Huan Zhen doubted his authenticity. He has zero redeeming qualities, and isn’t trustworthy. Despite always running away from him, Hao Sheng Nan likes him. But why? We can tell it’s because she thinks he’s nice-looking, and he might have been nice to her at some points, but that was all fake. He had ulterior motives for being nice to her when they were younger. Fast forward a few years, and she still really likes him. Even after everything he did, which Cai Huan Zhen warned her about. Eventually, Hao Sheng Nan comes to her senses and makes Jian Quian Yao tell the truth. Cai Huan Zhen was sexually assaulted by Jian Quian Yao’s brother and Hao Sheng Nan suspects it. But as soon as Jian Quian Yao whispers sweet words, it’s like she forgets about Cai Huan Zhen. Although Jian Quian Yao and Hao Sheng Nan admit their feelings for each other, when he leaves for South Korea all I thought was “Good riddance!” In comparison to Hao Meng and Cai Huan Zhen, their romance is shallow and immature.

Cai Huan Zhen’s relationship with Hao Meng is one filled with a lot of troubles, but despite it all, you know they love each other. Hao Meng cares deeply about Cai Huan Zhen and is the only person (besides her parents, most notably her mother) who believes Cai Huan Zhen without hesitation. It’s never Hao Meng who tries to ends things. He knows about her insecurities and won’t let Cai Huan Zhen push him away. Even when his insecure mother attempts to come between them many times, he stands up for Cai Huan Zhen.

However, his efforts are fruitless when Cai Huan Zhen continually sacrifices herself by believing Hao Meng will be happier without her.

He cries a lot in this show. For good reason.

Marry Me or Not is well-paced. I don’t have much to complain about with the execution of it, except for one scene when a fight between Cai Huan Zhen and Hao Meng went on way too long. In fact, it seemed they were repeating their points and glaring at each other.

Cai Huan Zhen gets her happy ending with the man whose always cared about her. There were some flashbacks that were a little confusing, but by the end of the last episode I wanted to reach through the screen and give Hao Meng a hug. He’s such a great, loving guy. The ending, which I won’t get into too much detail about because it was very well done, was perfect and left just enough tension to give it a realistic feel. The show wants to leave you with romantic, happy feelings, but I think it also left a message that marriage is a journey and not the end. I liked that as a practical person.

I was Team Cai Huan Zhen from the beginning. I loved her sass, her sense of style, her outer confidence, and her vulnerability. The show, while incredibly good, was carried by Alice Ke’s performance. She nailed her character’s feelings. Hao Meng is the perfect boyfriend, and I suspect, the ideal husband. By the end, we truly understand the depth of Hao Meng’s love for Cai Huan Zhen.

I would like to see a second season featuring their life as a married couple. I don’t usually say this, but that’s how much I loved this couple’s journey.

I liked that Marry Me or Not had “adult” characters. The main and supporting characters were in their 20s and 30s. They dealt with relationship problems in a mature fashion. We even got a couple of steamy parts, and one of them had my mouth drop in shock! It’s all tastefully done, though.

I love Alice Ke and Roy Chiu when they work together. I was first introduced to them in Office Girls, another Taiwanese drama I suggest watching. I’ll wait impatiently for their next drama together.

Heart of Manga Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

I chose to give Marry Me or Not five stars because the ending was perfection and it hit all the right notes. This is a great show and I suggest you watch it if you like your romances with depth.

Drama Review: Marry Me or Not

February 17, 2016

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